BREAKING NEWS: ECOWAS Leaders Insist On President Jammeh’s Exit, Visits Gambia On Wednesday

Economic Community of West Africa States (ECOWAS) rose from a three hours meeting, in Abuja, the Nigeria capital, on Monday with a resolution to send yet another delegation to the Gambian President Yaya Jammeh, in a last diplomatic effort to persuade him further to hand over power to the newly elected President Adama Barrow, on January 19.

The Delegation, which will be led by President Muhammadu Buhari, who is ECOWAS chief mediator to the Gambia on Wednesday, is expected to dialogue with President Jammeh on the need to respect the country’s constitution.

Briefing journalists, after the meeting, at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, Nigeria Minister of Foreign Affairs Dr. Geoffrey Onyema said leaders expressed determination to resolve the lingering political crisis using all Constitutional means.

Onyeama  said”In view of this, the meeting agree that a certain number of presidents will visit President Jammeh in two days time in the Gambia and that again will comprise the mediator President Buhari together with the President of Liberia and hopefully, the President of Sierra-Leon and the co-mediator the former President of Ghana (John Mahamma) as well as the President of the ECOWAS commission, the Special Representatives of United Nations and also a Representative of the African Union. So, this meeting will take place in two days time, on Wednesday to discourse with President Jammeh the need (to respect) the constitution”.

The minister said the ECOWAS leaders “agreed on the determination to resolve the Gambian political crisis in a manner that every step of the way conforms with the constitution of The Gambia and respect the will of the people of the Gambia”.

Mr. Onyeama said the leaders “expressed particular concern at the deteriorating situation that has been reported in respect of security in the Gambia in particular, the closure of some of the radio stations and media houses, arrest that have been taking place and also the refugee situation that is being created with the mass exodus of a large number of people to the interior and to neighbouring countries”.

Other ECOWAS leaders present at the meeting were Liberia President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, Senegalese President Macky Sall and the immediate past president of Ghana John Mahama who is the co-mediator, Presidents of the ECOWAS Commission and Special Representatives of the United Nations (UN) Secretary General.

The leaders were however silent on the next line of action should the recalcitrant Jameh fail to heed the calls of the sub-regional body.